The Franciscan most likely to influence Francis

Sean O'Malley is not only the lone American on the Council of Cardinals, but he’s also the lone Franciscan

John L. Allen Jr.*

Pope Francis made a historic visit to Assisi on Oct. 4, in part to meet the Franciscans responsible for keeping alive the spiritual legacy of his namesake. Yet it may actually have been a Franciscan the pontiff brought with him who has the greatest imprint on his papacy.

The pope was flanked throughout the day by eight prelates who make up his “Council of Cardinals,” recently formalized by a chirograph as the pope’s most important sounding board, who had just wrapped up three days of intense discussions on a wide variety of possible reforms – reorganization of the Roman Curia, changes in the Synod of Bishops, the role of the laity in the church and the Vatican, and the pastoral care of marriage.

One of those eight clearly stood out, especially in Assisi: Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, who wore his brown Capuchin habit throughout the day rather than the crimson-lined black cassock typically associated with Princes of the Church.

Visually, it was a reminder that O’Malley is not only the lone American on the Council of Cardinals, but he’s also the lone Franciscan – and for a pope named Francis, that’s no small matter in terms of the extent to which O’Malley has the pontiff’s ear.

There are three reasons why O’Malley is positioned to be among the most important influences on Francis.

First, the Catholic Church in the United States is an important force in global Catholic affairs. It’s the fourth largest Catholic country in the world by population, and the largest among affluent Western nations. By European standards it’s comparatively dynamic, with a Mass attendance rate estimated at 25-30 percent across the country, and a wide galaxy of movements and organizations, such as the Knights of Columbus, that provide funds and manpower for church activities.

Just as Cardinal Francis Spellman of New York once upon a time was the most important American prelate under Pope Pius XII, and Cardinal John O’Connor played the same role under Pope John Paul II, O’Malley is now the “go-to” American under Pope Francis.

O’Malley speaks fluent Spanish and Portuguese and knows Latin America almost as well as the United States, based on decades of work as a missionary and delivering pastoral care for Hispanics. During one of his many trips across the continent, he stayed in the residence of then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, forming a bond of friendship and trust that’s endured.

As a result, when Francis needs a read on American realities, O’Malley is the man he’s most likely to tap.

Second, it’s well known that O’Malley himself was a serious contender in the conclave that propelled Bergoglio to the papacy, and for many of the same reasons.

He represents a humbler, simpler conception of ecclesiastical leadership. He’s unquestionably orthodox, but a man of the social gospel for whom the poor are a towering pastoral priority. He’s committed to a more collegial vision of the Church, and, like Bergoglio, an outsider to the court dynamics of the Vatican.

In July, O’Malley candidly acknowledged in an interview with the National Catholic Reporter that “if the conclave had lasted another day or so, I would have been in great danger” – meaning, of course, that he might have been the one wearing white.

The fact that O’Malley had significant support among his brother cardinals certainly is not lost on Francis. It’s undoubtedly a core reason why he named him to the Council of Cardinals, and why he’s disposed to take whatever advice O’Malley gives him seriously.

Third, O’Malley is widely acknowledged as the most authoritative voice among the cardinals on the Church’s child sexual abuse scandals, an issue that Francis certainly will have to confront, but one on which he doesn’t bring a great deal of personal experience.

As Francis consults widely about his priorities, he will hear repeatedly the importance of turning a page in the fight against clerical abuse. That input will likely nudge the pope to rely even more on O’Malley, who has carried out clean-up operations in three successive dioceses, and who has emerged as a global leader in the effort to reach out to victims, to prevent future abuse, and to respond aggressively when it does occur.

Italian journalist Eugenio Scalfari recently said in a conversation with Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi that he doesn’t believe the Church will ever see a “Francis II.” With O’Malley very much in mind, some observers believe he just may be wrong about that.

Francis will be 77 in December, they note, and one logical trajectory of his effort to reinsert the papacy into the College of Bishops would be to follow the lead of Benedict XVI and resign, perhaps when he reaches 80. If so, that would mean stepping aside in late 2016 or early 2017, at which point O’Malley would be just 72, four years younger than Bergoglio when he was elected.

The smiling, bearded Capuchin is perhaps the single cardinal most likely to become the “Francis II” Scalfari had in mind.

Whether that actually happens is a hypothesis about the future. The empirical reality of the present, however, is that O’Malley is the Franciscan most likely to influence the direction of a pope who is clearly determined to walk in the footsteps of Francis.

*John L. Allen is senior correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter and senior Vatican analyst for CNN.